Public Health & Medicine in Europe

Maastricht is the perfect location to study abroad in. So many destinations are accessible by bus/train and there are multiple options for airports to fly out of. Because Maastricht is a smaller, student-centered city, it doesn’t take long to feel at home there!

The problem-based learning (PBL) method used at Maastricht University involves fewer hours in class, which allows for a more flexible travel schedule. Student-directed discussions foster more curiosity than traditional lectures, and being able to explain concepts to my classmates ensures my own understanding and retention.

I was only supposed to be abroad for one semester, but I decided to extend my time and finish my degree here. I am also strongly considering graduate programs in the US that use PBL.

I studied abroad with CES Maastricht's European Public Health and Medicine Program for the Fall of 2016 and it was the best decision I made in my college career. The staff are super supportive with everything from making sure your schedule is light enough to travel but also made sure everybody completed their requirements for each of their home universities. The classes are challenging but fun, and taught in a problem based learning style, which they introduce you to at the start of the program. Maastricht itself is a really lovely small town, it's big enough you won't be bored when you're there, but small enough shop owners will recognize you and you'll really feel like it becomes home.

The CES European Public Health class really opened my eyes to what a successful health program looks like, and served as a practical class for me to take in my career field. The classes at UM are what you make of them – participating in tutorials allows you to really understand the material in a way that lectures cannot.
Every single CES staff member is among the most helpful people I have ever interacted with – whether on field trips or just on a regular day in Maastricht, they are always willing to go the extra mile to make your experience better. Even when I thought I was stuck in a boring class, Laura Marley helped me jump into another class, a feat that is usually unheard of at UM.
This semester, I have seen more than I expected to, experienced too many beautiful things, and fulfilled my bucket list item of studying abroad. Maastricht makes coming back from an incredible weekend trip so much better, and the unforgettable people and culture are going to make saying goodbye to this gezellig city really difficult.

For a long time I didn't think studying abroad was possible with my biochemistry major. I thought there were too many required courses & that labs could not be taken elsewhere. However, during the spring of my sophomore year I decided to really investigate. Studying abroad was something I wanted to do. Something I thought I would surely regret if I didn't at least try. Try I did, and I couldn't be happier. I studied abroad at Maastricht University during the fall of my junior year. With a lot of planning I was able to use all of my courses abroad to fulfill either major, minor, or liberal arts requirements. During the two blocks I took basic Dutch; European Public Health in a Globalizing World; Culture, Politics, and Society in Contemporary Asia; Biochemistry with lab; and Medical Ethics. In hindsight, having the opportunity to learn and engage with my coursework in a different way (Problem Based Learning) was incredibly rewarding. The different learning style certainly had its challenges, but it was something I likely would have never been exposed to without Maastricht University.
I cannot say enough about my experience abroad. Traveling was an obvious up. In approximately 4 months I went to 16 countries! I especially enjoyed the school's field trips where activities, transportation, and accommodations were all planned out for the students.
Maastricht itself is a lovely little city. It was a place that quickly began to feel like home. I really liked being in a smaller city. There were few tourists and it was easy to get around (by bike of course :] ). It was refreshing to be able to take a train to Amsterdam or fly to Rome on the weekend and then come back. It was also very easy to get around knowing only English in Maastricht.
The food was great. Two of my favorites were stroopwafel, a thin caramel like waffle cookie, and bitterballen, what I think fried gravy would taste like. The Guest House accommodations were within walking distance of a large grocery store, which made shopping relatively easy. I also appreciated how the program offered cell phones for rent. While I didn't use my international phone too frequently, it really came in handy when I needed it.
My four months in Maastricht were incredible and I would definitely recommend this program for students looking to study in an English-speaking country with great access to different corners of Europe.